Battle of the Bay “Rivalry”: A Product of Two Struggling Franchises

Every year the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders meet during the preseason in a game which has become known as "The Battle of the Bay."

However, for a game that doesn't matter, the media and fans always seem to over-hype a rivalry that in reality should not exist.

The 49ers were the glory team of the 80's and early 90's, winning all five of their Super Bowls in that span.

Meanwhile, the Raiders won all three of their Super Bowls in the 70's and 80's. From the mid 70's to the mid 90's, at least one of the Bay Area franchises was always a legitimate contender.

There were a couple of seasons immediately before and after the turn of the millennium when both franchises had playoff talent, but since 2002, when both team...

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